South Africa (except arid interior and subtropical eastern lowlands), including Robben I (off south-western coast), also western Swaziland and Lesotho lowlands.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Cape Weaver (Ploceus capensis) [XC430290]
by Lynette Rudman from Greater Hermanus, Overberg District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa (call)
Cape Weaver (Ploceus capensis) [XC392636]
by Ted Floyd from West Coast NP, Langebaan, Western Cape, South Africa (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Has been thought to form a superspecies with Bocage's Weaver (Ploceus temporalis), or even to be conspecific, but affinities are unclear. Report of hybridization in captivity between "Olivaceous and Golden Weavers" probably refers to present species and either Holub's Golden Weaver (Ploceus xanthops) or (more likely) African Golden Weaver (Ploceus subaureus).
Proposed subspecies are olivaceus (described from Windvogelberg, in southern Eastern Cape) and rubricomus (from north-eastern South Africa), but male plumage exhibits considerable variation within any one colony, distribution is continuous, and size variation appears to be clinal. Therefore, naming of geographical subspecies considered unwarranted.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet